Effect of fluoride doping on the transition temperature of YBa2Cu3O6.5+δ

Abstract
The effect of fluoride doping on the superconducting transition temperature, Tc, of YBa2Cu3O6.5+δ has been investigated. Samples of nominal composition YBa2Cu3FxO6.5+δ−0.5x were synthesized where x was varied by two orders of magnitude from 0.0165 to 1.65. Tc systematically increased with x, reached a maximum of 93.4 K (midpoint) for x=0.066 and then dropped for higher concentrations. The sharpest transition, ΔTc(10–90%)=0.7±0.1 K, coincided with a maximum in Tc. From powder x‐ray diffraction measurements, samples with x≤0.066 were found to be single phase perovskite whereas those with x≥0.165 also contained BaF2, CuO, and an unknown phase. Although we find no evidence for the very high Tc’s reported by S. R. Ovshinsky, R. T. Young, D. D. Allred, G. DeMaggio, and G. A. Van der Leeden [Phys. Rev. Lett. 5 8, 2579 (1987)], our results do indicate that the effect of fluorine is qualitatively different from that produced by other dopants.